


Checking In

by AbelQuartz



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Anal Play, Anal Sex, Beards (Facial Hair), Bears, Belly Kink, Bisexual Male Character, Blue Eyes, Body Hair, College, Consensual Sex, Hand Jobs, Hotel Sex, Hugs, Kissing, LGBTQ Character of Color, M/M, Male Character of Color, Open Relationships, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Pansexual Character, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Relationship Discussions, Stubble, Sweat, Talking, Uncircumcised Penis, Undressing, bara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:13:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22646215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbelQuartz/pseuds/AbelQuartz
Summary: "What had there ever been to worry about when he trusted his heart?"There's a difference, Steven's learning, between being an adult and being truly grown-up. But it's led to different experiences, honest discussions, a glimpse into the world of polyamory and open relationships. When he schedules an evening with a young man on a similar path, Steven thinks about what their connection means - if it means anything at all.At the very least, it means some very good sex.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Steven Universe/Original Character(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 35





	Checking In

**Author's Note:**

> Benny belongs to ReindeerCurt, and you can find more of his work (and commissions when available) at: https://twitter.com/ReindeerArts. Thank you for permission to use your character. Couldn't have done it withoutcha.
> 
> Additionally, this is a super duper explicit sex story. However, if you want some nice LGBT-oriented conversation, there's some at the beginning. Do what you will, use your best judgement.

“Benjamin, probably,” Steven murmured. The man tapped on his steering wheel. “Heh.”

But the name ‘Benny’ could be short for other things. Steven hadn’t asked, and his nervous mind was getting the best of him now. The man continued to tap out the radio’s drumbeats on the wheel, nodding along and blowing air through his teeth like a hi-hat. That was a barrier that Steven knew he could only bring to mind in moments like this, when he was run through with nervous energy; he was about to spend the night with a man he had been chatting with for a couple weeks now, and yet he didn’t know his full name.

The curbside gave him just the right space to think. Benny would be coming out shortly. The warm drizzle of the summer night was turning the sunset into a painting on his windshield. None of the people walking on the sidewalk knew what was going on behind the eyes and hearts of the people who passed them. He rhythmically flicked the drawstring on his sweatshirt, wondering if he should zip it up before it got too cold.

Steven’s phone lit up the glass bottle of lemonade in the cupholder and buzzed. The man poked the screen to face him, then picked it up to read Connie’s message.

_I forgot, are you two staying the night?_

_i think so?_ Steven tapped back.

_LMK. Amethyst is getting the schedule_

_signs point to yes lol. tell her to stay. xo_

The new house had been standing strong for the past five years or so, and the Gems were instrumental in building things up for the Universe couple over their relationship. With Connie’s new work schedule and the baby needing care, Amethyst was the usual forerunner in helping out with sitting. Pearl and Garnet had had their share with Steven as a kid. 

Home. As much as Steven loved his home, he couldn’t help but squirm with excitement in his seat at the comfort of a hotel. There was always that degree of anticipation, the newness of a perfectly clean and alien room, artificially maintained but groomed to every edge — or better yet, an overnight human bunker with personality and flaws etched into the curling wallpaper. Steven had sprung for something relatively nice tonight. It was on the edge of the town. There were always those liminal residencies, where the people were just rich enough to have pools but not so rich to have them heated, where the hotels could overcharge with merit and the carpets had the faint scent of flowers, where the city lights were just bright enough to make the moon seem blurry on the horizon.

A hand raised outside his window. Steven jumped and turned, and the figure behind the window jumped as well. There was a phone in their hand. As the fingers tapped, obscured by the droplets on the window, Steven felt his own phone buzz again. A bubble popped up under Benny’s face.

_Imma ghost! Boo!_

Steven snorted and leaned over to unlock the car door. It opened to a young, boisterous man with smiling blue eyes and a smirk half a mile wide.

“Hello hello!”

“You recognized the car after all!”

“Hey! Yeah, yeah, no but you parked in the exact spot I thought you’d be. Did I give good directions or are you just smart as hell?”

“Uh...yes.”

The men laughed as the car door slammed and the engine started. Benny took off his little backpack and tossed it between them into the back. In the moisture outside, Benny’s hair took on that oilslick coloring even more so. He had the same hair color that Steven had had when he was a kid, even the same style, but the curls were messier and the black leaned towards an almost bluish hue, where Steven’s turned to brown. The young man’s prickly stubble showed just how much his body loved hair; the other pictures showed it even more. Dark curls ran between his pecs and over the curve of his belly, covered right now by the reddish polo of his grocery clerk job. His khakis, Steven noticed, were intentionally just a little too tight around the thighs. Benny’s own thickness betrayed him.

Neon squares darted over the rich brown of Benny’s arms and face as they pulled off and began to drive through the downtown shopping district. At the red light, he turned to face Steven, eyes wide with excitement. Steven cracked a grin, and the two laughed again at the absolutely absurdity of nothing, the simple pleasure of presence.

It had been almost half a year of fishing around on the apps before Benny had come up on Steven’s radar. The playful voice, the snappy typing, and those adorable blue eyes had all caught the Gem in a snare of curiosity. Even when the species barrier had been breached in their back-and-forth, all Benny had were questions, thoughtful and nonintrusive.

“Hey, I wanted to say,” Benny started, clearing his throat.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“Just — school’s been long, work’s been long, and this really is just what I needed.”

“I mean, hell, me too!” Steven laughed. “And it’s, you know, it’s good that I can help you with this too. Both getting a little something out of it.”

“A little something, that’s —”

“One word for it, I know —”

The men settled down again as the light turned green. Benny had told Steven before that he was still undecided about school, about his future, that his leanings towards fashion and culinary school were strong but what else was there, what was there to do? The coffee meeting the week before this trip had opened Steven’s eyes. Benny was where he had been as a teenager, albeit more human. Steven had felt his gut twist at Benny’s recounting of indecision and uncertainty that seemed to follow him around.

What kind of advice could a man like Steven give? Even in his 30’s, the Gem wasn’t sure about his life all the time. All the constants in his life, though, were at home waiting for him — or at least adjacent to home. It was like Steven had told Benny before: the milestones always blindside you. Last year he was partying for his legal drinking age, the year before he was coming back to school after a break, the year before was his coming-out story… Everything integrated, and the little pieces always stayed, but they added to the foundation.

Steven’s phone buzzed again. Benny glanced down, but Steven waved it away.

“I’ll check when we get to the hotel,” he said. “I think Connie’s just confirming plans.”

“Right.”

There was that tone, one Steven recognized well though he hadn’t heard it in quite some time. It was the tone of a person who had an uncomfortable thought or question stuck to the tip of their tongue. Benny had one elbow pressed up against the door and window, his face pressed into his hands, and his tongue was rooting around his teeth as he struggled, it seemed, to find the words. Steven gave him a moment and smirked. Both of them knew the weight of it.

“Does your wife go out too?” the young man said at last.

“Like to — to do what we’re doing, to hook up, you mean.”

“Yeah, with other people.”

“Oh, yeah! She’s done it once with someone she knew from middle school, and he had hit her up and asked about it, but he felt weird about it and broke it off. And the other day, she got together with — not like, um, not like a dominatrix?”

“What —” Benny snorted. “What the hell does that mean? That’s a little open-ended!”

“Okay, no, she’s a community person, like, BDSM community person!” Steven laughed, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers. “Connie had done some research, just in her spare time, and she found a local group? We went out together, and she talked with the head of the local dungeon into doing some play, some test things that we could do in the bedroom.”

“Did you go along for that? I mean, shit, I’d’ve liked to be there.”

“Turns out, I had a lunch date and had to drop her off. But she had a hell of a good time, and we’ve got a date there in a couple weeks for one of their newbie parties.”

“Well holy shit then.”

Benny watched Steven for a second, his mouth smiling and open and filled with half-formed words. He laughed and pushed his hair back from his forehead with a stunned hand.

“I’m really having a hard time just thinking about like, how all that works in your life?” Benny said. “My parents are so fucking vanilla, and like, it’s cool, they get it, but you two are doing so much out there? Even this! I’m —”

Steven smiled and nodded as his companion pushed his palms together, clasping them in a pseudo-prayer position, taking one giant breath. Ever since they had started dating seriously as adults, Connie and Steven knew that they were going to have an odd relationship. Steven’s love of tradition stopped at the bedroom door, even though they did have their sappy romantic times more often than not. The more they spoke, the more they had experimented and asked and researched with each other, the more they had realized just how far they could go with their tastes. Nobody was being mutilated or punished, and nothing unethical took place under the covers. And it was all lovemaking, all the time. That had been Steven’s one worry which Connie had quickly assuaged.

“What do you guys even consider yourselves?” Benny asked. “There are a lot of labels that I’m still learning. I dunno where I’m even at right now.”

“Connie feels that she’s more bisexual, and I’m definitely pan.”

“I — forget the difference?”

“I mean, there… I’ve had to ask before you know?” Steven said. “And it’s been different. I’ve had different feelings about it to. I guess for Connie, for her it means that she sees different people, different genders, and she sort of sorts them into her mind, and she feels attracted to them differently, yeah? And I see more of a...breadth, where it’s just about how I feel and how we connect more than anything else.”

The man waved his hands as he spoke, letting them rest on the turn signal as they started to merge onto the highway. Benny’s whole body was sitting calmer now that they were thinking. It was interesting to Steven, actually, how the younger man’s entire posture changed. His legs had straightened symmetrically, his elbows low and loose on his upper thighs. Warm light drifted across his face in streetlight swaths rather than the downtown pinpricks, waves of orange instead of the sharp blues and whites.

“I’ll be honest, I just...I just like dick right now,” Benny said with a shrug.

“Same! But only for tonight as long as it’s attached to you.”

Benny whistled in a cheeky cheer, rolling his fist in the air.

“Yay, little victories.”

“How’d that discovery go?”

The young man faltered in his victory. Steven had expected this, and he shut his mouth. He rested one hand on the center console, just in case Benny needed a touch. But the student simply nodded with a grimace.

“My parents found out I was looking things up on my phone late at night,” Benny said. “It was keeping me super late, I was, like, sleeping in school, because I just found all the porn — it was porn, that’s about it. You know? Just falling down that internet rabbit hole. Because no friggin’ kids talk about these things. I had friends but we were weebs and shit, we didn’t — I couldn’t come out to them, you know?

“But yeah, my dad saw my data and history, and I didn’t know that they even had opinions on all this gay shit. Mom tried to be woke, dad was mostly mad about the fact that it was illegal and on his line. I’m just this fat little middle schooler, bawling on the couch ‘cause my family knows I know what sex is? And it seems so dumb now. We don’t even talk about relationships when I go home.”

“You guys don’t talk about it at all?” Steven said, then cleared his throat. “I hope college has at least been a little better, right?”

“Definitely. I don’t have, like, I’m not part of the LGBT plus group, but I know who the queer folks are and we’re super open. We make sex jokes. We’re cool.”

That had been the crux of the matter: talking about all that was being boiled up inside, all that they could do to help save their relationship from silence. To find a phallus was easy, and to use it even easier. The Universe’s relationship was solid at its core after Steven had been through his therapist, after the years of reformation, and after Connie had set the standards for how they were going to handle their conflicts from now on. They needed the base before they could call themselves a couple at all. Steven looked over at Benny with a little hopeful smile. The burden of growth felt so light after the bloom.

“So you’ve found people on campus, then?”

“My first hookups with men were actually guys off-campus. One or two older guys, a couple who were, like, your age too. You know, learn the lessons, find who you want. I don’t know what everyone’s looking for, but like, there are plenty of bottoms and stuff, so. And on-campus, I’ve been talking to some girls, but I don’t know how to hook up with them yet. I dunno if I want to.”

“But what are you really looking for, Benny?”

Benny sat in silence for a moment, tapping his hands on his knees. 

“Is it okay that I don’t know yet.”

“Fucking yes, absolutely. You don’t have yo know anything.”

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re married!”

“I — right, okay, I’ll admit, I have a pretty good idea about all that, but it was hard, man!”

“Isn’t falling in love easy?”

Of course it was. Steven smirked and stifled an embarrassed laugh. Of course falling in love was easy, but falling in love was a catalyst, a beginning, the start of the science experiment where you poured in the potassium and watched the foam flow. The understanding of that reaction and the cleanup afterwards were what mattered. Steven had fallen in love when he was a child, realized it when he was a teenager, and didn’t get married until he had wiped up the mess of his own life afterwards.

“Yeah,” the man said at last. “Yeah, it is. It’s great.”

“So what’s the hard part then? We’re being real here.”

Benny leaned over, and Steven felt the pause as he considered poking the man’s arm, then the reconsideration as the knuckles playfully bumped into Steven’s seat.

“C’mon, spill your wisdom,” Benny chuckled.

Steven pressed his lips together as he nodded, squeezing the steering wheel as they turned onto the exit. Well, they had been open with each other so far. Benny leaned back on the cushion in ignorance. It was clear that this wasn’t a quid pro quo conversation, nothing to that extreme. The kid wanted to know, he deserved to know, and he cared about Steven’s relationship. Was Steven an example again, without even knowing it? Was Benny actually looking up to him? The man rolled his shoulders and forced himself to breathe. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t responsible for Benny’s thoughts, but he could guide later if need be. It was out of his hands. And that was okay.

“It’s not really wisdom,” Steven said. “I...I had a lot of control issues. Like, bad anxiety, and I wanted to — I had this compulsion, you know? I thought it was about keeping people safe and communicating but I was really...imprisoning the people I loved? It felt like I was keeping them hostage sometimes. Connie knew I wasn’t ready for a relationship like that. She made me go see a therapist before she’d even think about real dates, real future planning. And shit. It’s working.”

“You’re still doing it?”

“Yeah. Heh, it’s funny. I was so used to instant healing that I couldn’t understand recovery that took time.”

Both men were quiet for a few moments. Steven wondered if that was too much, but he saw Benny’s fingers curling and uncurling, as if there was something ready to escape him, some words he couldn’t say. The man refrained from asking. As they drove, Benny cleared his throat.

“There is this one girl, you know,” he said. “And we’re friends in a couple classes, and I know that I like her, too, but I don’t know if I’m feeling love if it’s been the same kind of hookup feeling. I don’t want to lose her as a friend, but I don’t know how to ask, like — okay, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be dumping all these advice questions —”

“No, man, it’s fine! You can just let it out, it’s all good.”

“With you and you wife, Connie, how did you guys approach all that? Are you guys still friends, even with all this poly stuff?”

“Ha! Yeah, it was a journey. Also.”

The man put his turn signal on and pointed through the windshield to where the hotel greeted them. Florescent signage and warmed stucco invited travelers in, but without the chintzy discount advertisements and twenty-year-old logos. Steven gave a silent thanks to his father for helping the two of them out of the financial maze that was being an adult. With Connie’s job and Steven’s inheritance, their daughter would never be lacking, and the couple could go out for activities like this. Benny sucked air through his teeth in excitement, wriggling on the seat.

“But those categories aren’t really… They’re not NOT helpful, but there’s no reason that friends can’t be lovers and the other way ‘round. We just grew up together, and Connie knew I had a crush on her, but I just wanted to have her close as a friend. I loved her like I love all the people in my life, and I get to love her even more now.”

“Yeah! Yeah.”

Steven pulled into a parking spot close to the entrance and shut the engine off. As they got out of the car, both men gripped their hands together, raised them above their heads, and each gave a grunt and a stretch. Steven shook out his spine, as Benny dug his fingers into his mop and shook vigorously, giving his head one more whirl before he stood up tall with a little snort. At his highest, Benny was still at least half a head shorter than Steven. The two looked at each other as they came around the car. Steven opened his mouth, and the wind was knocked out of him when Benny leaned forwards suddenly and wrapped the man in a hug.

“I am _really_ heckin’ excited.”

“As am I!” Steven wheezed.

Benny released his bearhug, and as he hopped back with a deep little laugh, Steven could see even in the dim light the blush brushed over his face. He seemed so eager, ready to jump into an evening with a man who was practically a stranger. Was he that trusting, or was Steven that trustworthy? Steven clapped a hand around Benny’s shoulders and pulled him in as they started to walk to the sliding doors. It didn’t matter. They were here to hook up, to have fun, to be friends through the night.

“Should I bring my bag in?”

“Nah, we can get it before the night’s up. I got a little bit in the trunk too. Overnight junk.”

“I’ll take _your_ overnight junk.”

And that was how this was going to start, then — with dick jokes. Steven blew a raspberry and withdrew his hand, pretending to dig a fist into Benny’s shoulder as the younger man laughed at the reaction.

But they separated in the foyer, barely looking at each other as Steven wandered over to the front deck to check on their reservation. Even with nobody in the field of carpet, not a single patron hiding on the leather couches, there was judgement without eyes, surveillance without souls. To anyone on the surface, this was a sleazy hookup, and as Steven took the keycards his stomach soured at the thought. In his mind, a hookup would have been cheating. To go and get off without purpose or thought, to fuck carelessly — it wasn’t in his nature. To be married and to hook up would have ended him.

And he looked back at Benny and knew that the young man had a friend in him, but that there would be room for experimentation, time to talk and time to play. Maybe that girl he had mentioned would take him somewhere special. As Benny looked up from studying a potted plant, the men smiled at each other again. Steven nodded towards the hall with the elevator, and the cub obliged, trailing behind his patron. Steven checked his phone.

_You two have fun! Amethyst has it covered._

_i love you_ , he said, before slipping the phone away.

In front of the doors, Steven felt a hand on his lower back. Nerves made the touch easier. He put a hand around Benny’s shoulder, then jumped as Benny’s hand went down in response to squeeze his cheek through his jeans. Steven raised an eyebrow at his companion. Benny only stuck out his tongue impishly as the doors dinged open.

There was his nature, all right. As soon as the doors closed behind them, Benny whirled around and grabbed Steven by the hips. Be it a display of dominance or more play, Steven knew that this kid couldn’t move him if he tried. The Gem allowed himself to be whirled around, pushed against the side of the elevator. Benny leaned up and Steven met the kiss with vigor; this, this he could handle without faking. 

The cub had gone straight for the tongue, and the taller man felt the difference immediately. Benny’s mouth was thick, his lips rugged and dark and stubbly. The grind across Steven’s five-o’clock shadow was uniquely painful and not unpleasant. Steven closed his eyes and let the tongues slide over each other, _mano a mano_. He wrapped both arms around Benny and practically lifted the poor kid so they could be face-to-face as they made out. The younger man let out little grunts as he kissed, like he was exercising, and his roughshod hands slipped up to pull on Steven’s shoulders as much as they could muster. 

By the time they broke, Steven could feel the bulge in the tight khakis pressed against him. All the trickster nature of Benny’s approach had been blended with a sense of relief. His eyebrows sloped in ephemera, bounding with a slow blink of those precious blue eyes. Benny couldn’t help but smile, panting and hugging his companion with a tiny drop of spit trailing down the side of his mouth.

“ _God_ , you’re amazing,” Benny whispered.

“Come on, I’m just me. You’re the amazing one here, Benny.”

“I don’t care, I’m sayin’ it anyway.”

“Like how I taste, eh?”

“I can’t wait to find out for real.”

The elevator pinged. The men separated in quiet embarrassment, like children that had their hands caught in the cookie jar. Steven remembered the times that he and Connie had been caught performing PDA, though never to a sexual extend. Strangers’ gazes had always been something he found easy to ignore. So many eyes on him growing up meant he could be used to giving explanations. If anyone who knew Connie saw him, well, they’d just have to ask her what he was doing. Right now, he had to take Benny in.

What a joy the student was. Steven watched him as they came out of the elevator and into the carpeted hallway. Benny’s aura wasn’t as mischievous as a fae, nor was he obedient in his sexuality. He reminded Steven of a puppy, old enough to know when to listen and young enough to know how to play. The man smiled at the thought of Benny in the future, with this night as a pleasant memory, a footnote in his sexual experience. He had mentioned a girl; perhaps one day the four of them would get together on a double date or more. Perhaps he would come around for a night, with both the Universes together. Or maybe Steven would see a message, where things had been lovely, but there were other plans in the making. Steven could only see the positive in this young man’s future. The only thing he couldn’t do was enforce it. Benny needed his own space to grow.

As soon as he slipped the keycard in and opened the door, he felt the warm air wafting from the room and sighed with gratitude. Undressing was much more pleasant without the blast of air conditioning. Hairy knuckles drifted over the back of his jeans once more as Benny passed by him into the room. Benny paused, then put his hands together and turned to Steven with an unusually small smile.

“Hey, I just wanted to say thanks again,” the student mumbled. “I know I wanna act a little — out there, but I’m just really excited. You didn’t have to do this for me.”

“Benny, you’d deserve this as much as anyone. And you’re more than anyone. You’re you!”

“That’s...super cheesy, Steven.”

“Oh, excuse me, princess, you want some fresh platitudes? Or whatever you young people are saying these days?”

“You’re not _old!_ ”

Steven pulled off his sweatshirt like a superhero, letting it fall to the ground. He came forward as Benny approached, and the two met in a hug. The cub pushed his head into the strong crook of Steven’s neck, and the Gem held his companion around the breadth of his back. Benny was right, of course. They were a little over ten years apart, and of course Benny was younger, but having lived around ageless beings for his entire life, Steven knew he wasn’t even close to being old yet. For the briefest moment, he wondered how old he would end up being, if his human side would win out against the magic of his past.

They didn’t have to worry about that now. He needed to let it all go. One hand came around Benny’s shoulder and lifted the cub’s head. Benny already knew what he was being offered, and they shared the kiss quietly, in a moment of peace together. Steven and Benny rocked back and forth as they stood. The hotel room provided the glowing hum of florescent lights, the whir of the dormant climate regulator, and the distant sound of cars passing in the night beyond the curtain.

The kiss was just as gentle, lips barely parted. Each tongue was cautious, almost respectful in the way that it poked out just enough for the tips of the muscles to touch. For one moment, they extended together and almost hooked, and then they withdrew contentedly lips and all. Steven raised his head, and Benny pressed the side of his own against Steven’s chest again.

“Is it weird to feel…”

“A kind of love?”

“That’s it.”

“You’re good, Benny. It’s part of being where we are. I do have love for you. In a way, I love you. It’s different.”

“Is it okay to feel like this?” Benny murmured. “You’re — married and all. I’m not falling in love, I know I’m not, I know it’d be wrong.”

“Only if you want to hurt. And you aren’t about that, right?”

“Right.”

“So, you’re just feeling another kind of love,” Steven replied. “And it’s okay to feel close to people, even when you don’t understand it. Do you want to be here?”

“Yeah! Yeah, a-and I really want to… Fuck, I really was looking forward to something that was just sexual. And I didn’t really prepare myself for anything inside.”

“You don’t have to unpack that right now if you don’t want! Talking about your feelings is important, but we don’t have to do it now.”

And to think how difficult that would have been to say fifteen years ago, even ten. Steven let Benny chuckle against his chest and didn’t let the younger man see him bite his lip in shame. He had spent a lot of time unlearning how to make people talk. Pausing someone’s happiness to interrogate them wasn’t necessary. Forcing things out into the open was painful. Even if he could help, Steven had had plenty of discussions where he learned that it wasn’t his place to. If Benny wanted, he would. If Benny didn’t, he’d worry, but he’d respect it. What other choice did he have? Right now, they were two parts of a positive experience, not quite halves but in a whole regardless. Steven cracked a smile, knowing what dirty wordplay they could have if he voiced that last thought aloud.

“Hey. Sit down there on the edge of the bed.”

Benny started to move backwards, turning to the mattress. Steven followed with his hands, like they were in a dance. The cub pushed back just enough to smirk, then let his body weight bounce on the foam as he released himself to sit. Steven let his grip follow Benny’s sides down to his thighs, massaging the muscle as his body lowered. As he got down to his knees, Benny’s body shivered and relaxed. Steven could see him forcing the transition, trying his best to calm down as he knew what was about to happen.

At home, he had practiced with Connie and a strap. Behind closed doors, when they could, there was much to be done at home. It was only ‘practice’ in retrospect, the taste of silicone on his tongue. But learning he had a half-decent gag reflex was nice for now, when he was pressing his face in between another man’s thighs. Benny moved his legs together reflexively, muscles shuddering around his companion. Steven was thankful the young man couldn’t see his smile from above.

There was no need to be fancy. Steven reached up and unzipped Benny’s khakis, then deftly hooked his fingers into the waistband to unbutton them. Even though his shirt was tucked in, Benny didn’t wear a belt. Another time, they could use those implements for further activities. For now, the man simply pulled at Benny’s waistband, tugging the cotton down past the black mess of hair right underneath. The young man sucked in air as his erection bounced out and came to rest against Steven’s cheek. 

He kept tugging until all of Benny’s junk was exposed to the air, his testicles spread neatly over the V of his open pants and his twitching member jutting out excitedly from his groin. Steven held on to the waistband of his friend’s pants and pulled on them as a handhold, as his other came to wrap around the shaft. 

To Steven, the sensation was just familiar enough to keep from making him question what to do. He knew what his own penis felt like, and he knew what another man’s warmth was like, and he stroked to pull back the skin and expose Benny’s head like he would his own. The boy’s cock was built much like his body — thick around the sides, broad in the middle, beautifully dark. The head was plump and swollen like a plum. Even in its familiarity, Benny was substantially different than the woman he was used to. The smell of home conflicted with the smell of a near-stranger, a younger bear of a man. Confidence and curiosity had different auras. Was Benny nervous? Steven brought his lips to kiss the underside of the glans, and Benny spread his legs wider. No, this was a familiar excitement to him.

The taste of another man in his mouth was, to Steven, completely new. He was clean from earlier, but there was the faint sweat of the day that slid over Steven’s tongue as he opened his mouth to take Benny in.

“Oh, hell…”

It was thicker than he thought. Steven stretched his cheeks open when he felt movement. He moved his hands away, keeping his mouth in place as Benny pushed the khakis down and peeled them off his thighs. The shorts followed, and Steven followed the wobbles of the cub’s body as he undressed. When the clothing passed by Benny’s knees, Steven moved his head down, holding himself while he reached for the man’s shoes. He kept his eyes closed and focused on his mouth, while below he untied the young man’s sneakers, just enough to tug them off. They should have done this before, but neither man acknowledged the awkward humor of undressing like this. Steven knew he’d have to go through the same thing eventually. The shows were tossed to the back wall and clunked against the siding. Steven peeled Benny’s socks away, then reluctantly raised his head off. He couldn’t do this all while blowing him.

Steven had to admit that Benny’s moistened member looked even better than it had before. The ridge of the urethra underneath gave texture to the cock’s shape, and it had raised itself even more after having been in Steven’s mouth. Benny raised his feet obediently as Steven undressed him. They made eye contact, and the student tried his best to smirk disarmingly, but Steven could see he was bemused by being handled like this. As Steven threw the pants and underwear to the side, Benny grunted and tugged his shirt over his head, pulling at the sweaty polo and letting it fall to the floor.

He really did remind Steven of a bear. Benny’s thick frame was technically chubby, but his body shape belied definition underneath. The curvature of his belly rose and fell with his breath, solid muscle underneath the gut and hair. His dark skin was smooth from the tense thickness of his pecs to the width of his bare hips. Of course Steven thought he was wonderful, but here and now, the man could see why he had been attracted to this man in the first place. Despite his relative youth, he was pushing buttons Steven didn’t know he had. And that was just fine by him. 

Steven patted Benny’s belly. “Stand up.”

When he came out of the shower sometimes, Connie couldn’t help herself, and the feeling was shared between the couple. Steven fell back on his knees as Benny grinned and rose up. The young man was poised now, bringing his fist to bury his fingers into Steven’s hair. The pressure propelled Steven forward, and the warmth of the man’s cock slid past his lips once more. 

This time, there was a purpose. They had a whole night ahead of them, but if it was only this, Steven was fine with that. The noises he was making were obscene and so familiar, the wet suction of oral sex, the clicking of the mouth taking the smallest gulps of air. Steven found his rhythm, with one hand on Benny’s hip and the other resting the man’s balls in his hand. Benny was grunting with the little pleasures, with the way he was throbbing warmly against Steven’s tongue. He didn’t thrust and force Steven down, nor did he remain staunch and upright. The student’s body rocked with Steven’s head like a fulcrum. He was soaking himself in pleasure, a few inches at a time.

Steven removed a hand from the hip and explored between his own legs for a moment. Unbuttoning and reaching inside, he found himself swollen as well, taut against the denim. He had been worried before reaching out if his body would signal to him that he couldn’t handle an experience with another man. Even as he blew Benny, Steven wondered what he had ever been worried about. He had known for years that he could feel this way about anyone, and putting into practice had been the only barrier. Swallowing a combination of his own drool and Benny’s pre, Steven found himself both thankful and shamefully relieved. What had there ever been to worry about when he trusted his heart?

Opening his mouth as wide as he could, Steven braced himself with his eyes squeezed shut and thrust his throat forward. The wiry bristle of pubic hair trembled against his nose as Benny shook in pleasure. With his airway closed off, filled to its widest point, Steven could only hold himself and suck for a few second before he had to slide carefully off again, clearing his throat on the flip side. Blinking the tears of exertion away, Steven rubbed his hands up and down Benny’s thighs as the other man chuckled, pushing his hips forward to rub his organ across Steven’s face.

The man pulled himself to his feet. Benny met him with a kiss on the way up. The tongues rolled over each other freely now, the stubble around their lips scratching gently. Steven raised his hands to Benny’s shoulders as his companion lowered his own to Steven’s hips. They were clumsy in their motions, or at least Steven felt so. He felt awkward as he pushed on the heel of one shoe while removing his foot, tugging it out with a scrape. It felt silly to stand here and kiss as he removed his socks and shoes with the prowess of his feet only, as Benny blindly brought his hands forward to unbutton and unzip Steven’s jeans. The kisses had no tempo and the motions no conductor. But there was no discord to be found in the pleasure of Benny’s hands reaching inside, warmly, to stroke Steven with strong, compassionate fingers.

It was time to be blunt. Steven pushed his body forward and rotated it, then shoved Benny along for the ride. Benny let go and flopped onto the creaking mattress. Those bright blue eyes seemed to glow as he watched Steven pull his t-shirt up and over his head. He licked his lips and wriggled his eyebrows, as dominantly as the playful display would allow. Steven gripped his pants, then paused.

“Before I get rid of these.”

He fished around in his right pocket, then pulled out the little bottle and tossed it to Benny. Silicone seemed to do him just fine, and the travel size was perfect for moments like this. The scene paused, as Benny nodded, fumbling backwards on the bed to put the bottle on the nightstand. Steven tugged down his bottoms in the meantime, stumbling out of his clothing like he would in the morning for a shower. 

“Do you, um…” Benny said, pushing the hair out of his eyes. “I mean, are you prepped?”

“Oh, yeah! Connie and I have played around before. I’m all set.”

“Okay. Okay! I mean — just coming from work and all.”

“I’m good, Benny. You can fuck me, we’re good.”

Explicitly stating the activity seemed so weird in the moment, but Steven had already let the words go, and there was no taking back and exchanging for a euphemism. What would he even have said? He clambered onto the bed himself, feeling his erection swinging with his motions, before he climbed over the berth of Benny’s body. This was a real moment, a slice of life they were frozen in like insects in amber. There was nothing to cover for the kiss as Steven pressed his face and chest down on top of Benny’s own. Nothing could replace the sensation of his hands sliding between the young man’s body and the comforter, fingertips sinking into sore muscle. He didn’t have to say anything with his tongue already occupied.

There was nothing like the feeling of another lover’s body, and Steven had to admit that he wasn’t prepared. He could never tell Benny, no, but he could chastise himself for thinking he was used to contact in any way. Hugging, hand shaking, cuddling, fighting — Steven imagined he could be ready because he was so used to people. To lie on top of this man, and feel their privates awkwardly touching like two seals on a single rock, was to feel something beyond words.

“Hey, wait, Steven —”

The break and the murmur was enough make Steven ease up; years ago, he would have bolted upright, apologized, and crashed. With a deep breath, the man pushed himself until his arms were pressed into the mattress and he was looking into Benny’s face. The younger man bit his lip and wriggled. Two hands came down to Steven’s hips and pulled him closer, dragging his body upwards, and Steven had to hunch over to bring his body into the right position.

“Can we start like this?” Benny asked.

When he had played with Connie, Steven had always been in a secure position while his wife worked, and he hadn’t had a chance to be ‘on top’ yet. He shoved himself into a sitting position with a grunt. Benny’s eyes followed Steven as he brought his legs to either side, sliding his body forward, reaching down to adjust his cock and let it slap back down onto Benny’s belly. The rubbing against the fur surprised Steven, and wondered if he could bring himself to the edge just by that stimulation alone. Benny throbbed between his cheeks, not quite wedged in there, but definitely close.

“I don’t see why not. As long as you don’t mind looking at me.”

“Don’t mind at all.”

The two men had to lean with each other as Benny stretched over and retrieved the little bottle of lube. Its plastic was slippery even on the outside, but it was easy enough for Steven to click the top open and pour a sample into his hand. When he brought his hand back and clasped it around Benny’s shaft, the young man closed his eyes and let his head sink back against the pillows, his hips vibrating with that fresh kind of pleasure beneath Steven’s weight. As he rubbed, Steven put the bottle on the other side of the mattress, then brought his feet forward into more of a squatting position. There were always angles they had to adjust for.

Benny raised his hand for a moment and ran it over Steven’s belly. For a moment, his fingers lingered over the pink Gem in the middle. The man watched, but Benny only stroked it for a second before letting his hand come down to Steven’s thigh.

Being a Gem had its difficulties when other humans were involved, but either they asked questions to no end or they pretended to ignore it. Steven smiled to himself at the interim. A tingle had begun to weave through his stomach as Benny touched him, but that was all, and it was short-lived. Another time, then, he could explain how it felt, what it meant. The acknowledgement was enough to satisfy for the moment.

Steven brought himself down onto Benny, still with one guiding hand underneath to hold his lover, feeling the head resting against his hole. Everything was so much warmer, so much more human. A toy could be shoved, twisted, moved as things needed to be. The man underneath Steven was frozen in a moment of pleasure, his smile faded into a series of gentle breaths, his mouth open just enough to balance excitement and anxiety. 

The head of his cock started to sink into Steven’s body. The flesh resisted, then slid around the lube. Steven grit his teeth as the true adjustment began. This thickness was more than he was used to, but the shock of another person entering him was apparently enough. Steven felt his hole clench once reflexively, then relax almost immediately after. He gasped with surprise as the thick head popped through and fully entered him. He could feel the meat giving way, the bodies communicating with one another. Training could not have prepared him for how permissive he could be.

“Oh, f- _fuck_ yes…”

Benny’s deep, satisfied groan made Steven grin even in his discomfort, especially when the young man’s pleasure turned into a self-conscious chuckle. But that’s why they were both there — to enjoy this. The only pain came from the swollen girth and its minor friction against the sides of his hole. Lubrication could only do so much, but the bodies would adjust. And of course it took effort, Steven recognized that; it was like exercise, where the pain of exertion was the body’s way of telling you how proud it was of your progress.

The man closed his eyes and reached back with both hands to spread himself. Sweat became trapped under his fingertips, massaged into the hair and skin, making Steven’s grip loose but not enough to stop the sensation. Without his arms to ease himself, Steven had to balance shakily as he sunk down onto Benny’s cock. He could feel the length starting to get right up to where it should be, the coarse pubic hair cushioning him as he pressed against the fat of the young man’s groin.

“I got you,” Steven whispered

He brought his hands up to Benny’s chest. Benny stretched out his arms along the length of Steven’s own, nodding along as Steven began to rock a rhythm. It didn’t take much to feel how swollen Benny was inside of him. A slow, even pump on the dick was enough to both make his insides warm to the sensation and make Benny grip his arms with a swift gasp. Steven moved himself with a beat in his head, like a song. The stimulation was just fast enough for the two of them, just enough to ease them into the beat.

Steven wanted so badly to know why it felt good the way it did. Obviously, the prostate was pressed, but the whole scenario of being with another man, the stretch and the preparation, this exertion that he felt in his aching legs — it all felt uniquely pleasurable in a way he hadn’t felt before. Nothing was as good as being inside Connie while he kissed her. This wasn’t a competing feeling, but something entirely new. Steven had to close his eyes to get the thought of fusion out of his head. Now wasn’t the time. Sex was about two bodies, separated and coming together in their own special way.

A strong young man like Benny certainly made Steven’s heart soften. When Steven felt his legs falter, he opened his eyes and saw Benny grunt, wriggling his hips underneath. A quick thrust from below made Steven gasp, mumbling some pleasurable nothing under his breath. With his dick stiff and attentive inside of the Gem, Benny narrowed his eyes, clearly concentrating as he moved his hands down to Steven’s hips. The student gripped and pulled Steven all the way to the base, and began to rock more swiftly, short bursts of deep penetration. It shook inside of the man, as deep as the cock could reach, and Steven gripped Benny’s pecs while he got the breath fucked out of him. The ability to squeeze and stimulate up here was the least he had.

One more slam and Steven arched his back, wincing but not rejecting the intensity of Benny’s last deep thrust. His legs were starting to go numb from being bent and forced to pump out the pleasure. Beneath him, the young man was just getting himself rested. Beads of sweat had started to appear above his thick eyebrows, curling down those round cheeks and into the maze of his stubble. He forced a smile and bit his lip, watching as Steven eased himself back down, getting used to the deep thrusts.

“Here, come off and get on your back,” Benny said. “I got _you_ , too.”

Steven wasn’t one to object. He moved his hands to the mattress and slowly, gently leaned forwards. Easing the cock to its limits felt weird, as if it wasn’t supposed to ever come out. While he wasn’t the tightest, there was just enough resistance for both men to swear quietly as the cockhead popped out and left Steven’s hole dripping with lube and precum. The man rolled over shakily, letting himself fall over top of Benny onto the mattress.

As soon as he hit the cover, Benny was over to greet him with a kiss. His breath was hotter now, his tongue more adventurous. Steven let his body go limp, just so that the hand holding his shoulder could feel in control, so that Benny knew he was okay with the young man’s eagerness. There, there was a lightbulb, and Steven forced his eyes to keep from flying open. All the things he loved about himself were present — the belly, the stubble, the scent of an excited man, the natural curls of body hair, the strength of someone who had struggled.

Benny broke the kiss softly, paused, and touched noses with Steven. The gentle poke was enough for the man to snort in laughter, and in the midst of the sweaty covers the two of them giggled for a second in their own peace.

“Get a pillow, under your butt.”

“Sure!”

From underneath his head, Steven pulled out the pillow and began to adjust himself. Benny rolled away from him, off the bed and onto his feet. Steven watched his friend take the bottle of lube and walk to the foot of the bed, idly stroking himself as he popped the cap. He seemed bigger than Steven imagined him to be when he was inside. But practice always did that. Benny clambered up onto the mattress with a wild smile, gripping the base of his cock like a pistol. After weighing his options, Steven reached up and pulled on the back of his thighs, right up near his knees.

The feeling of the open lube bottle dripping onto his hole made Steven shudder for a moment, and Benny chuckled above him. The cub positioned himself, snapping the top definitively as he pushed in more suddenly, making Steven yelp as his hole tightened around the shaft.

“Steven, fuck,” Benny grunted. “You’re a great bottom, you know that?”

“You can thank me later. Mrgf, easy, easy down there…”

“You’re doing great, let’s just —”

Just like Steven had slid himself down before, Benny moved his hips an inch at a time, leaning forwards with one hand still guiding him. Steven closed his eyes and let the sensation of being penetrated take over. At this angle, the dick curved right against the upper wall, almost curved up to his prostate, and Steven could feel that unmistakable tension of the organ under pressure. It was a unique weight, a tension that connected like liquid iron tethers between his genitals and that little fulcrum. Benny gave Steven a slow stroke, working out a drop of precum onto Steven’s Gem. The clear drop ran down the edge of the pink and into his body hair.

Benny lifted his hands up to Steven’s shoulders and held on tight. Steven kept his eyes closed, reveling in just what he could feel. He felt his legs spread apart, bent backwards to maximize how much he could take, how close Benny’s hips could come to his. The smell of another, no longer a stranger, filled his nose with unmistakable humanity. Benny adjusted his legs, and the cock shifted in like kind inside Steven’s body, trapped but free to move in its pleasurable center. As the young man’s hands held on, Benny began to thrust. The time between his slow practice and his hard rhythm was shorter than before. Soon, Steven was watching the ceiling shake through half-lidded pleasure as his breaths were pushed out of him by the cub’s eager pumping, back and forth. 

When Benny’s kiss came to his lips, he could taste gratitude. Sex could happen between any two adults on the planet, but here it was, in this hotel room, with two men who loved each other like only animals could. It was more than fraternal, but not romantic, and Steven could have sensed that in Benny’s motions. They were friends, and would be closer friends in the future, friends who could suck each other off and talk about pizza and get married and slide inside each other’s bodies. Steven loved his tongue’s greeting, the way that Benny locked himself onto Steven’s mouth and sighed. It was distinctly a sigh, a small breath between lungs, one that told Steven how much Benny loved being here with him, right here and right now. 

And the invitation for more was there, as the young man demonstrated as he broke the kiss. The thrusts slowed as the two men looked at each other with half-open mouths. Steven let the smile come as he raised a hand to run it down his friend’s stubbly cheek. Benny’s smile turned into a sharp grin. He kissed Steven once more, a quick peck, and let go of his shoulders. 

Benny raised himself onto his knees, then took Steven’s ankles in his grip. The man complied with Benny’s guidance, moving his hands up behind his head. The boy’s belly reached from one of Steven’s thighs to the other even with them spread for him. Steven knew that he was a pretty big guy, but Benny was more imposing all around, his body more ready to stand up and get into the action. The man watched the belly start to swing back and forth, and with each thrust, Steven felt his body have to readjust to the thickness stretching him out. When Benny pulled back for these thrusts, he pushed forward and slammed into Steven with a grunt, making Steven gasp intensely with the impact. A meaty slap of Benny’s hips against his thighs filled the room each time. 

The metronome sped up. Benny’s deep thrusting became faster, but he kept himself backed up, enough to take the whole thickness and force Steven’s hole to prepare every time. Getting fucked like this was a new experience. The man had to take shallow breaths, gasping and whining with pleasure as Benny worked his magic. He could feel that gut rub between his legs, hair and skin sliding against the sweat of the other. The smacks echoed around the room, and Steven knew someone might hear from the other side and he didn’t care at all. 

Fingers wrapped around his cock. Steven merely gripped the bedsheets and let himself be stroked. If Benny was close, he didn’t show it; his expression was animalistic, his grin cheeky, flecks of perspiration running down the sides of his face. The hold he had on Steven was enough to get the man up to the edge. With a dick rubbing up against his insides and a hand keeping him pleasured in time, it only took a minute or so for Steven to feel himself get ready to orgasm.

“Don’t stop, Benny,” Steven panted. “I’m gettin’ there —”

The cub nodded and enacted broader strokes, pulling the skin up and over Steven’s head before sliding it off again. From the base to the tip, his hands held tight. 

“That’s it, gimme a big load,” Benny grunted.

Steven had felt this kind of climax once or twice before, but never with this connection, this warmth. Sex always felt different flesh on flesh. The man’s body tightened like a knot where Benny’s cockhead was rubbing up inside him. Unique pressure built up from his prostate and ran up his urethra. Clear precum had been leaking from his tip for some time, but it wobbled now and flung down in little trails over Benny’s knuckles. And it was thicker, just a little milkier, a g-spot buildup signaling his release.

That additional pressure made the actual feeling hard to pinpoint, but Steven knew when his body was telling him that it was time to let go. Holding back wasn’t going to do much with all the stimuli. Steven reached all the way down and grabbed himself by the meat of his inner thigh. He massaged as he panted, forcing the tension to leave his aching loins. The more he tried to relax, the more his body forced him to feel the strength of the impending orgasm, which just made his muscles tighten more. Eyes closed and chest heaving, Steven let the warmth rise through his cock without any more thinking. He couldn’t take it any longer.

Heat throbbed around his cockhead as the first spurt of cum shot out and over Benny’s fingers. The young cub grunted and kept his pace as Steven whined with satisfaction below. The real money shot was just as thick, and Steven could feel it rocket out up to his chest. The weight of his orgasm hit his torso, one shot after another, and it felt like Benny was draining him with those thrusts, pushing all the semen out of him that he could. Steven wanted to look at his spread, but the only thing he could focus on in these seconds was how intense the orgasm was, how much more the payoff to the pressure felt with a man inside of him. Even after the last bubbles of cum were pushed onto his gemstone, Steven felt just as hard as before, if slightly dizzier.

Benny chuckled with satisfaction. This was clearly the result he had wanted. The boy wiped his sticky hand on Steven’s chest, then gave the man two quick thumps with his knuckles. 

“Turn over. I wanna breed ya.”

Who was he to protest? Steven took a breath and winced as, for the second time, Benny slid his cock out. No matter how slow he was going, it always felt too quick. But it was more sensitive post-orgasm, tingling with tension, and Steven jolted as the head popped out. Obediently, though, he shifted to the side before rolling over onto his stomach. He felt a little guilty for getting jizz on the sheets, but not so guilty that he didn’t do it. His lower belly rested on the stack of pillows, legs spread, erection poking out underneath and still drooling the aftermath over the edge of his foreskin.

“You still feelin’ good?” Benny murmured as he brought himself closer. “We can break if you want.”

“No, I —”

Steven coughed to clear his throat. His throat felt ground up from his exclamations. He laughed, coughed, then gave a thumbs-up over his shoulder.

“— I’m good! Get on up.”

“Can do, man.”

Benny still sounded casual, suave, as if he had been in charge of this whole operation. Steven settled onto the remaining cushion at the head of the bed, and thought about how nice it was. Benny hadn’t seemed as confident in the car, but here, as he rubbed his erection against Steven’s cheeks, he was enjoying himself with an air of ravenous sexuality. All of his partners should be so lucky as to see this. Steven wondered what Connie saw in him when they were making love, what the difference was. With the young man poised above him, Steven felt oddly proud, and he wasn’t sure why. But he knew that one day, Benny deserved to have the same sort of emotional connection with a partner in and out of the bedroom. All confident, all strong, happy all the time — everyone deserved that shot.

His thoughts were opened up just like his hole as Benny’s thickness entered for the third and probably last time this session. The night ahead meant that at least Steven had a chance to get used to this, but he grunted and winced at the stretch regardless; thickness was thickness. At least he could claim to be used to the feeling of Benny getting all up in there, hilting himself with his legs spread out. The man’s belly weighed on Steven’s back. Steven felt the air pushed out of him as Benny leaned all the way down. Two hands slid up underneath Steven’s shoulders, handholds for the fucking to come.

Steven could tell as soon as Benny started to thrust that the young man was close. Immediately, the speed of the hips was more than it had ever been when Steven was on his back, even in Benny’s roughest moments. This was done for the purpose of Benny’s body, to get himself to climax and to use Steven to that end. No, it wasn’t that informal, but Steven let the thought under his skin, and he made a mental note to talk to Connie about it later. It was kind of hot, in a way he didn’t quite know how to parse.

But the motions left nothing to the imagination. Benny’s hips slammed against Steven’s backside, driving out grunts and pants from both men. The muscles in the young man’s legs strained to keep up the pace. Steven could feel him shaking with both pleasure and exertion, swearing under his breath as he came closer and closer. The hands let go to push into the mattress on either side of Steven. All Benny’s energy focused on his thrusting. Waves from the impacts spread down Steven’s thighs and back, rubbing his sticky body against the sheets.

“ _Fuck!_ Fuck, yeah…”

One more growl was all it took before Benny shoved himself as deep inside Steven as he could. Underneath the thrust, Steven had to grit his teeth. He felt as though the cub was swelling inside even more, but it was just the final burst of arousal as he came, the hardest that Benny could possibly be. The boy shook with pleasure, his arms wobbling to support him as he filled Steven up. Inside, a new warmth filled the older man, and he knew for sure that Benny had finished. It was impressive, but he would have been happy with anything. Benny certainly seemed satisfied as he dug himself in for one last push before his arms finally relaxed. 

Steven reached up and held his companion by the wrist. Sweat dribbled down the arm, trapped in the long, dark hair. Round one was over, as far as Steven was concerned. Benny let out a deep, low whistle and let his body roll forwards. The full weight was nothing Steven couldn’t handle, and he chuckled as Benny laid right on top of him, still partially inside, still plugging him up. 

“You doing okay, kiddo?”

“Yeah! Yeah, just… Man.”

“Get your breath. We can get some water soon.”

The young man chuckled, and Steven thought he knew why. All the little reminders, the gentle things, the direction — it was all in the name of responsible adulthood. But maybe Benny would get into the habits for his own sake. He had such a long road to walk. Steven took as deep a breath as he could with Benny on top of him, and moved his hand to stroked the side of Benny’s face. Benny hummed appreciatively, scratching his stubble against the tender knuckles. 

Steven took a moment to think about where they were going tonight. Room service here was 24/7, with some restrictions, and they could have a conversation over dinner and bad television. Maybe they should shower to get the sweat off beforehand, or maybe they could bask in their scents, a little masculinity, a little hormonal reminder. But they could clean up together, scrub with soap in the shower and talk about school and higher education, runsing themselves off before getting dirty again later. It was possible that Benny didn’t have the energy to go for another round tonight and that he would rather lie down and talk for a while about his relationships. Steven wondered so desperately if there was something under the surface that Benny wasn’t saying. He wanted to hear about Benny’s hookups, about the kind of girls he liked on campus, about the men he respected in his life, about kids his own age. 

“You’re bein’ awfully quiet,” Benny murmured. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m just thinking about you.”

Benny laughed, but it was true. Steven chuckled under his breath, closing his eyes just for a minute. The things he wanted to hear from Benny had to be genuine. Whatever the young man wanted to do, Steven wouldn’t stop him. Talk or action, rest or recovery, it was his choice.

But Steven knew that the feeling was mutual. The two of them had a common bond, but they didn’t know each other. Steven thought about his wife. Connie knew him better than anyone else on the planet, as well she should. Whatever discoveries were left were unknown even to them. Between Steven and Benny, there were a thousand secrets, and there always would be. What did Benny want to know? Well, he couldn’t ask that, not now and not ever. It had taken Steven so long to realize that, and he let Benny squish the last breath out of him as he sighed with relief. They had a whole night.

Benny lowered his head to kiss Steven on the nape of his neck, bringing more kisses around slowly. The man couldn’t exactly resist, so he exposed what flesh he could, letting the stubble prick him one hair at a time. 

“We probably should get you up, though,” Benny said. “And maybe get the comforter off so we don’t stain it.”

And so it was decided. Steven nodded in agreement, and closed his eyes as the softening cock slid out of him yet again. In and out, always connecting and reconnecting. There had to be a metaphor somewhere. Steven waved the thought off. Not everything had to have meaning like that. The meaning was the meaning of two bodies together. It was nothing less than that kind of love.

Whether or not it was a permanent exit was up to Benny. The men rolled over almost together, bodies separating as they stood next to the bed. Steven stood up to his full height, knees shaking as he stretched towards the ceiling. His eyes were closed, and they opened in surprise as he felt the hug. Benny’s tight squeeze only lasted for a second, but Steven felt everything in the momentary touch. His own fluids squished between their thick skin and body hair. The smell of a frazzled but excited student mixed with his own scent, something he could never smell and never place. Their nakedness was as literal as it was figurative, at least in Steven’s eyes. He rested one hand on top of Benny’s slick curls and patted the cub’s back with the other. No, those thoughts could come later. They were just two men for now. The cum spread against the edges of his Gemstone pressed between them.

**Author's Note:**

> This took longer and ended up longer than I was expecting, but I feel that it's an important work for a couple reasons.
> 
> For one, this is for a Tumblr anon asking about MLM Steven X OC content that wasn't entirely fetishistic and was aged appropriately. There's a bit of a niche for this kind of content, and I feel that it was important to explore not only the experience that Steven might have but a reason for this story to exist. Bringing questions of polyamory, married life, the paths of young queer men and their own lives into focus allowed this story to become something that mattered to Steven. This is part of his life, as an adult, something he could only have after he matured.
> 
> For two, well, this isn't a story for everyone. And sometimes fanfiction is like that! At its core, stripped away of all the philosophy and interpersonal questioning, this is a story about two men having a sexual experience. They're big, hairy, sweaty dudes, and the sex is reflective of who they are as (mostly) human beings. I wanted to make this story for people who use these stories for any number of reasons. There's platonic love, MLM affirmation, poly affirmation, body positivity, etc. And I hope that that matters to someone out there.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, your comments are appreciated, tag suggestions will be taken into account, and love critically <3
> 
> -A.Q.


End file.
